58 Camino Del Diablo, Orinda, California, Contra Costa County, 94563

If you seek a home different from the ranch-style architecture prevalent in Orinda, this European classic may be the home for you.

58 Camino del Diablo was originally built by the deLaveaga family, the principal owners and settlers of much of what is now Orinda. Imported Italian craftsmen built the three-story chalet in a style prevalent in the Italian Alps. Known as the Honeymoon House, it was completed in 1941 to celebrate the wedding of deLaveaga’s daughter. The current owner completed an extensive remodeling of the home in 2006 using specialists in restoring historically significant buildings. The team included San Francisco-based architect Sandy Walker and Santa Monica-based interior designer Patti Skouras.

Enter the estate through iron gates. A curving stone inlay driveway directs visitors past mature oak trees and gardens to the entrance to the fourteen-room chalet (3,795 square feet, four bedroom, three and a half bath) sitting on a secluded .8-acre promontory. A 1,670 square-foot Ipe deck off the dining room and living room offers an outdoor kitchen, dining and entertainment venues overlooking the Orinda Country Club, Lake Cascade, Briones Regional Park and Reservoir, and Mount Diablo. Inside, the grand formal living room features a marble bar, ceilings more than twenty-feet high, and a massive wood-burning fireplace for cold winter nights.

Across the patio, an inviting spa beckons, leading to a well-appointed two-story guest house (805 square feet, one bedroom, one bath) with interior appointments reminiscent of a 19th century Montecito cottage. Set among stonework and mature oak trees, the guest house and two-car garage maintain the estate’s architectural themes.

The design, craftmanship, and charm in this exceptional property embody Orinda history, yet with modern furnishings. It is not to be missed.